SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICE DELIVERY IN RIVERS STATE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between school environmental sustainability practices and educational service delivery in Rivers State public schools. The study adopted a correlational research design. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The population comprised 8,678 respondents consisting of 310 principals and 8,368 teachers in 310 public secondary schools in Rivers State. A sample size of 382 respondents was determined using the Taro Yamane formula and selected through a multistage sampling procedure. Data were collected using researcher-developed instruments titled: “School Environmental Sustainability Practices (SESPQ)” and “Educational Service Delivery Questionnaire (ESDQ)”. The instruments were validated by experts in Educational Management and Measurement and Evaluation, while its reliability was established using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC), which yielded coefficients of 0.85 and 0.80. Data collected were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) to answer the research questions, while the hypotheses were tested using Multiple Regression Analysis at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that waste management practices and environmental maintenance practices had significant positive relationships with educational service delivery in Rivers State public schools. The study further showed that both variables significantly contributed to educational service delivery, with environmental maintenance practices making the greater contribution. The study concluded that effective implementation of environmental sustainability practices enhances instructional effectiveness and learning outcomes in public schools. It was recommended, among others, that school administrators should strengthen waste management systems and implement regular environmental maintenance programmes to promote quality educational service delivery.